Regardless of the Time
by Ciel the Hedgehog
Summary: Silver risks another trip into the past, in hopes of finding Blaze and helping fix his home. When Amy stumbles upon his mission, will she be able to help him...despite all the problems that seem to follow him?
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone, Ciel here, and I've got a new story! Not sure how often I can update this, but there is one big difference between this and other things: No OC's! The only ones that appear are just minor characters that make a brief appearance, like the mayor in this one. So for those of you who don't like OC's, here's to you!**

**Oh, and one other thing: This does not follow the games, because in this, Elise did not get rid of the Solaris Flame or whatever. So in this, everyone remembers each other. Got it? Good!**

**Silver, Blaze, Amy (who appears next chapter), and all related characters belong to Sega. Any minor people in this belong to me. Well, enjoy the prologue!**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Saying that the future looked grim was definitely an understatement. The whole world was charred and burned, wasting away into an uninhabitable land by the second. Barely any plants grew, while rivers and oceans ran dry.

Believe it or not, it used to be worse.

Until recently, the planet known as Mobius had been infested by Iblis, a god of fire whose existence flooded the world with misery. Lava had run rampant everywhere, and the sky was always a smoky brimstone haze. Now, due to the efforts of two heroes, the sun finally showed its face to the world.

As we speak, one of those heroes stood atop the cliff above Central City, or as it was commonly known to the locals, Crisis City. Crisis was the capital of Mobius, the center of where the planet's rebirth would begin. But our story doesn't focus around that; it focuses around the hero. As he stands above the crowd, this tale begins…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Silver the Hedgehog found himself coming here time and time again. Below was the city, slowly rebuilding itself from the ashes. It had been home all fifteen years of his life, which had been spent combating Iblis. He hadn't been alone, for there had always been someone at his side: Blaze the Cat.

Blaze…remembering the lilac-furred feline, Silver remembered what it was he had come here to do: pay his respects, as he did every day. Near the edge of the cliff was a gravestone for her, even though there was no way to know if she was dead or not. During the final fight against Iblis, Silver had attempted to seal the beast within his own body, but was rejected. Blaze however…the flaming tyrant willingly took her, and she had sent herself into exile in another dimension. There was no way of knowing is she had made it or not, but either way, there was no way of seeing her again; she was as good as dead.

"Why Blaze?" Silver asked again, not expecting an answer. Golden eyes gazed at the grave, which didn't have anything engraved on it yet except for her name. The hedgehog couldn't figure out what else to write. That he would miss her? That she sacrificed her life to save everyone? Nothing seemed to be able to atone for what had taken place.

"I knew I would find you here." Silver tore his eyes from the grave to see the mayor of Crisis City. He had met the mayor on a few occasions, and lately he had been helping to fix up the city. Being telekinetic was a large help, and Silver was one of the few with that ability.

"Is something wrong sir?" The boy asked. The mayor, an old rabbit, shook his head.

"Her death has upset you, hasn't it?" Silver nodded sadly, gaze fixated on the floor. Everyone knew about what happened to Blaze; since there weren't many people, everyone was pretty close. Still, Silver had taken her death the worse, being the sole witness of the tragedy.

"I just…I tried to save her, but I couldn't! She had to go! But…why? I don't understand why she had to go that way." The mayor nodded sympathetically. It was hard for the boy to deal with such a loss; while death wasn't uncommon, losing someone close was still difficult.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" The mayor asked. "The citizens of Crisis City value your deeds greatly, and if there's a way to ease your burden, all of us would jump at the chance."

"…Thanks for the offer, but I…I can't think of anything now. Maybe later." Silver looked over at the city, his expression forcibly neutral. "It's so hard to believe how different it is here. Everything in the past, before Iblis…its unbelievable, sir. Now, I think the only similarity is the sky…" A pair of golden eyes softened at the sight of the clouds, and the bits of blue that peeked out from behind them. "Maybe we'll even get some rain soon."

The mayor nodded. Silver talked about the past so much; at times, it was a worry. Not that he could blame the boy; the stories of a world filled with life and joy was almost too wonderful to believe.

"Would you go back, if you could?" Silver seemed surprised by the question.

"Of course! I mean…well, I'd like to, but I belong here. I have to help everyone out, and make everything better. But…"

"I see. I apologize for bothering you." The mayor turned away, and began to walk down to the city. Silver stayed behind, for the question had sparked something in his head.

"Sir…I believe there may be something you can help me with."

"Is there, child? Well then, what may that be?" The two stood silent for a minute.

"If it is possible," Silver began, "I would…like to go back to the past. Where I was before. I mean, well, if I went…I may be able to see how things work back there, and when I come back, I can help more with rebuilding things. Maybe I could even bring some plants back or something. I mean, it would really help, right?" The mayor thought about this, stroking his chin in contemplation.

"You realize time travel is dangerous, do you not? You were taken back with an experience time traveler before, and it was by pure luck that you made it back here in one piece."

"I know." The hedgehog replied, his face grim with determination. "Please sir, let me try. I may even be able to find her, and…" He didn't need to finish; the mayor knew what was on his mind. There was a legend about brilliant machines in the past, so why not one to cross dimensions as well?

"Help resurrect our world, and possibly save your friend…I suppose it is as valiant a cause as any." The mayor reached into a small knapsack, pulling out a brilliant violet gem, handing it to the young hero.

"We found this recently; I had a feeling you might decide to venture back one day, so I've been keeping it until you needed it." The gem, one of the last remaining Chaos Emeralds, glowed brightly.

"Th-thank you sir!" Silver exclaimed.

"Well then, I shall help you to prepare for it soon. Just promise us you won't die."

The boy nodded, eyes brighter then they had been in years. "I'll make it, sir. Promise." Golden eyes surveyed the horizon, as if to a time far away…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

_"Is it right to just leave?"_ Silver had decided to make his journey that night. The stars above were like pinpoints in the night, guiding his way back two hundred years ago. Back to the past, with Sonic and his friends. _"Is it really right to leave everyone? No, I've got a mission to do! This is for the future, Silver!"_

He had decided that it couldn't wait any longer, and that he would start his journey tonight. The sooner he left, the sooner he could start his mission. Crisis City would be waiting for him when he returned, and he had promised to come back. And if he broke that promise and died? Well, there was always the chance Blaze was waiting for him on the other side.

Holding the Chaos Emerald in his grip, Silver stood in front of his friend's grave for the second time that day. Softly touching the cold stone, the young hero let his thoughts focus on a time years ago, before he was born, and the heroes that resided there.

"Chaos Control!" He disappeared in a violet light, the only trace being his footsteps on the dusty earth…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**So, what do you think so far? Love it? Think I could do better? Please let me know! Your encouragements may help me update faster…wink Not that you have to, of course, but it'd be nice. Anyway, I'll see you with the next chapter soon!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Well, Chapter 1 is here as well. I don't have much to say, except that Amy comes in here…well, hope you like it!**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Pain. It was a white-hot pain, searing through every bone in his body. The sturdy bones felt fragile underneath the skin, and a crackling sound reached his ears.

_"What's going on? It wasn't like this before!"_ Silver tried to open his eyes, but they were scrunched shut in a natural effort to withstand the torture his body was undertaking. Did something go wrong? Did he mess up his transfer, and die?

Was this hell?

_"No way; I'm not dead. Just a little off course, that's all. I promised to make it to the past…and this can't stop me!"_ Quickly, the young hedgehog brought up every thought of his destination, trying to home in at the right time, and hopefully end this torment. Memories flooded into his mind from when he was last there, and the people he met…

Sonic, the blue hedgehog that he had tried so hard to destroy…a twin-tailed fox that always trailed by his side…a crimson echidna…an ivory bat…a giant robot…Shadow, the black hedgehog that had shown him the truth…Elise, the princess who had Iblis sealed inside of her…and…a pink hedgehog girl?

Amy; her name was Amy. Something sparked; he seemed to remember her best. Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog. She had helped in his search, when he had gone back in time before. It was to kill the blue hedgehog (his name was Sonic, he remembered) and save the future that time, but Amy had helped him…and then, she had stopped him.

"If I had to choose between the world and Sonic…I would choose Sonic!"

Those had been the last words he had heard from her before she left. So why did he remember her so well? No matter; something inside seemed to resonate with that memory. Slowly, the pain began to fade away, and he slipped into darkness…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Amy Rose, fangirl extraordinaire, threw the curtains of her room back. The sun was shining brightly today, and the sky was clear and blue. The girl smiled, for blue was her favorite color. It was the color of Sonic; whose face decorated her room, like a miniature shrine. She pulled a plushie of her hero off the bed, gazing at the smile sewn onto the face.

_Ring! Ring!_ Dropping the doll and walking over to the suddenly noisy phone, Amy wondered who was calling so early. She hadn't even eaten breakfast; much less expecting anyone else to have done so yet. Maybe Cream gotten overanxious about seeing her today and picking flowers.

"Hello, Amy Rose here," she chirped. "Who is it?"

"Miss Rose, this is the Soleanna Hospital." Jade eyes widened; was one of her friends hurt? Had Eggman attacked last night, and she didn't know it?

"A hedgehog ended up in our care this morning. We aren't sure of his name, but he keeps mumbling yours…can you please come here?"

"I'll be there right away!" Hanging up the phone and tossing on a coat at the same time, she rushed out the door and into her car. It was old, but it could reach a decent enough speed. Reaching the hospital in under an hour (missing a speed ticket as well), she rushed inside.

"Miss Rose, I presume?" Asked a nurse, some kind of mouse. "Right this way, please." After striding through the halls and into the room, Amy took a minute to realize who it was.

The patient was a hedgehog, whose fur was an extremely light shade of gray, almost white in color. He had five quills positioned on his forehead like a fan, and two other quills that sloped down like normal. Two rune-like markings glowed faintly on each hand, which were bandaged. Both legs were in casts, slightly suspended off the bed.

"Silver?" The hedgehog opened his eyes at the mention of his name, his golden irises clouded over from sedative. He didn't say anything, but a faint smile graced his features. Amy, meanwhile, turned to the nurse.

"What happened to him?"

"We aren't sure. He was found alone near the desert portal last night. He seems to have endured numerous injuries, but there isn't a scratch on him anywhere…" the nurse sighed. "The doctors checking on him aren't sure yet, but he seems to have suffered the most damage in his legs…it doesn't sound good."

Amy nodded absently, examining the boy on the bed. She remembered helping him through Dusty Dessert; her to find Sonic, and him to find the "Iblis Trigger." Sadly, both turned out to be the same thing, and she left him soon afterward. Then, she remembered him being there to help bring Sonic back to life, and defeat Solaris…but how had he ended up here? Warily, she walked over to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"How are you feeling Silver?" Lame question, she told herself. Of course he's feeling bad! Who wouldn't?

"…Sore…" he admitted, "but…I made it…right time?" Amy cocked an eyebrow. She wasn't sure what he meant by that last part, but she assured him he had made it. "Good…how are you?"

"Alright." There was a pause. "So did you save your world, or whatever you were doing?"

"Kind of…" Silver looked like he wanted to say something else, but the conversation was taking enough energy as it was. Amy was ushered out of the room to let him rest. On her way out, one of the doctors stopped her.

"Excuse me," he said, "but seeing as you know the patient here…would you happen to know his parents or guardians?"

"I don't think he's from around here," Amy explained. "Sorry I can't be of more help to you."

"That's alright. It's just that someone is going to need to pay his medical bills. It's shaping up to be quite costly…" the doctor shrugged. "Well, carry on. I trust we will see you here soon." The hedge-girl nodded as she walked out the door. Something told her that this was going to take awhile, where that hedgehog was concerned…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Silver came back into consciousness awhile later. His mind was hazy, not remembering how he ended up in the hospital. Bits and pieces came to him, from when he had been awake enough to notice things. Apparently, he hadn't been so fortunate with his time traveling this time. Looking himself over, he was relieved to find that, although bandaged, his hands weren't too bad off. This seemed to be the case with most of his body, but his legs…those were a different story. He attempted to move them, but to no avail. Figuring the cast was the cause, he reached out and prodded one leg softly. A sharp sting was the reply, which quickly subsided to a dull ache, reminding him of the time he had his arm broken once when he was…seven? Eight? He wasn't sure.

With nothing else to do, he looked about the room. It was white, whiter than he had ever seen. There were a few pictures on the wall, a table next to his bed (which, by the way, he found unbelievably soft), and a window. There was barely anything else he recognized in the room, but it was still new to him. Looking out the window, he saw the blue sky, and the sun starting to set.

_"Sunset? I must have been out awhile. I think I remember arriving in the morning…or did I wake up then? I'm not sure..."_

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" The boy turned to see Amy standing in the doorway, holding a small bag.

"No, it's alright. It's good to see you again." Amy nodded at this, seating herself in a chair next to Silver. Out of her bag came a small sandwich, which she placed on the bedside table.

"I decided to bring you something to eat. It isn't much, but the doctors said it may be awhile before your appetite came back. But hey, hospital food isn't that good; trust me on this." Silver nodded, eyeing the meal. He warily grabbed it, examining it as if he wasn't sure whether it was edible, or if it was going to bite him.

"This is a…sandwich, right?" On his first trip to the past, he bought one for lunch when he was in New City with Blaze. From what he remembered, it wasn't too bad.

"Of course, silly! Turkey sandwich…do you like turkey? I wasn't sure what you liked, so I guessed." Amy was amused by his expression, as if he still wasn't sure about the morsel of food. He did seem a bit relieved, though, and bit into the bread.

"Huh…this is good. What'd you say it was?"

"Turkey. You have had a sandwich before, right?"

"…Once, I think." Amy stared at him; she remembered him being a bit off, but this? Maybe he suffered some brain damage too, or something. Amy shook her head; it wasn't good to assume stuff like that. There were a few minutes of silence as she wondered about this, as Silver happily munched his meal.

"So, about your world…" The words came uneasily to her, but she was curious about what he meant. "What did you mean, you 'kind of' saved it?" Silver paused, blinking a few times.

"Well, I saved it," he said slowly, "but now, it needs to be rebuilt. So I came back here to figure out how things work, so I can show the others how to fix things to be like this."

"Oh, really? That's brave of you, coming back. So how'd you hurt yourself?"

"…I'm not sure. I think I might have messed up traveling here somehow. I guess I haven't mastered Chaos Control yet…"

"Chaos Control? Shadow and Sonic can do that!" Amy paused, raising a suspicious brow. "You aren't going to try killing Sonic again, are you?"

"…That was a mistake." Silver's voice was suddenly flat, and his expression serious. "If you're worried about his safety, I can guarantee that I'm not a threat this time. We sorted things out."

"That's a relief." She found it hard talking to him, seeing as they had barely met before. Then again, of all the people, he remembered her name. So far as she knew, she was the only one he had mentioned to the doctors. What reason not to know someone who trusted you like that? "So…your parents aren't worried about you?"

"They probably would be, if they were alive…I'm not sure if they've even been born yet." Golden eyes widened at the sudden slip, and his hand automatically went over his mouth to prevent him from saying any more.

The hedge-girl sat there, confused. "Not…even…born yet?"

"No…" Uncovering his mouth, he resumed the same slow, careful speech he had used when talking about his world. "I am actually from the future…a few centuries, to be precise. Iblis ravaged the planet back then- would have, I mean -so I came back here because I was told I could stop him by killing the Iblis Trigger."

"That was Sonic." Amy added. Seeing him nod, the theory of brain damage slipped back in.

He continued, "Well, after finding out it wasn't Sonic, I figured out a way to stop Iblis…so I did. Then I was brought back to stop Solaris, and then recently…I made it my mission to learn from here, and tell the others back home about it." The room was filled with an awkward silence at the end of his explanation. And suddenly, Amy began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Silver didn't understand the outburst at all. After a minute, the laughter subsided into a few small giggles.

"This is the kind of thing you read in story books," Amy explained. "That someone from some dying world, or the future, or something, comes to this one to save everything. No other ones will do; just this one. I used to play games like that with my friends when I was a kid. It's just…unbelievable to see it come true, right before your eyes."

"So you believe me?" Silver asked, though not totally sure what she meant.

"Well, I've seen hedgehogs run at the speed of light, giant monster-gods, a mad scientist shaped like an egg…the list goes on. Yeah, I think I can believe time travelers too." Noting the smile on her face, Silver took it for granted.

"Thank you…Amy."

"Don't mention it." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another nurse in the doorway. "Guess it's time for me to leave. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Silver nodded. "Right. Tomorrow." Following a brief exchange of goodbyes, Silver watched her go.

_"She believed me…"_

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**Enjoy? I hope it was alright. I'm not the best judge of how odd it would be for Silver to end up in this time, but I tried, and guessed what he would/wouldn't know. Oh, and as a note, Amy does officially have a car. In fact, she even used it back in Sonic R. I'm guessing it's mostly used to carry bags between the mall and her house, though. Anyway, I'll be (hopefully) seeing you soon!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Thanks to your lovely reviews, I updated! Joy! I dedicate this chapter to my friend Caro, who was kind enough to check over the prologue and first chappie for me. Thanks Caro!!!**

**I don't own Silver, Amy, or any such folks. I would like to say, however, that Halfway Angels and the song are mine. (I'm not in a band, but if I was, that's what I'd name it )**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Over the course of the next two weeks, Amy continued her visits to the Soleanna Hospital. She and Silver would converse for a bit if he was awake, and even if he wasn't, she always brought a sandwich for him to eat (currently, his favorite was peanut-butter and banana). Oftentimes, the girl would explain to her time-traveling friend about various things on Mobius, bringing pictures with her to show him. Of the things that she showed him, he seemed to take the most interest in the cd she brought; he was amazed that a simple disc could play such an array of sounds.

"Do all cd's sound like this?" He asked her as it played.

"Nope. Almost every cd has a different kind of music. There's rock, country, pop, rap, disco…" The girl named a few others, until she noticed the confused look on her friend's face. "Needless to say, there's a lot."

"I'll say. So what is this?"

"Oh…it's a song by the band Halfway Angels. Isn't the singer's voice pretty?" Silver nodded, listening a bit closer.

"There are…words!" He exclaimed. The mixture of notes was astounding enough; it was hard to believe that part of it was understandable.

"_**Should I put my thoughts into words now**_

_**Like I've tried a million times before?**_

_**Don't want to be locked up forever**_

_**So is it time I just let go?"**_

Silver wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but hey, he could understand it well enough. Amy chuckled softly in amusement at his revelation.

"Is it that funny?"

"No, not really. It took me awhile to figure out what they were saying too."

"…Well, as long as I'm not the only one." He replied with a shrug. He placed his hands behind his head, leaning back against the pillow of his bed as he slightly nodded his head at the beats of the song. The hedgehog began murmuring along with the words after awhile, making Amy smile.

"_He has a pretty voice,"_ She thought. _"It also sounds different from most other people…I think it's an accent."_ It made sense; a few centuries would probably have at least some affect on how things were pronounced. Silver's accent was rather light, however; it had taken her a week or so to actually notice it. _"I guess it just sounds natural to me."_ She had adapted to him rather quickly, she supposed. Sometimes, the girl almost forgot that he was from the future…until one of his questions about the simplest, most taken-for-granted things burst the illusion.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Amy wasn't sure why she remembered that particular event so well, but she did nonetheless. Right now, it was the third week of her visits. As usual, she walked up to the desk, letting the attendant know she was there.

"I apologize Miss Rose, but he's currently having a check-up. Can you spare a few minutes?"

"Oh, sure. Just let me know when it's done." Amy walked over to the waiting room, seating herself in one of the chairs as she picked up one of the many magazines scattered about the room, most of which were at least five years outdated. Finding an old Times magazine, she began reading that. After awhile, her eyes rested on one particular article.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Who is the Hero? It was a page-long article about the acclaimed hero, and the fact that not much about his history was known to anyone, regardless of how much searching they went into. Amy didn't find this odd; her Sonic never did like looking back at things, good or bad.

Ah, Sonic…she still continued to pursue her idol every day, her heart full of love and hope for the day he finally asked her out. Many people were amazed at the fact that she hadn't given up yet, but Amy usually replied with; "Being in love, time doesn't seem to matter much anymore. Just so long as we're together!" Besides, she had learned from the best: Her parents had relentlessly each other for nine whole years before they started going out.

Snapping back from her imagination and back into reality, Amy read into the article. There were some mentions of Tails, Knuckles, and a few others. (The article, being three years old, held no mention of Shadow, Rouge, Cream, or the like). There were a few snippets about Amy as well, generally as "the most devoted little rascal the world's ever seen." She huffed at this; she had dropped the "rascal" part of her years ago! What had she been then; Nine? Ten? She shrugged, tossing the paper aside.

Letting her thoughts drift, she realized that she hadn't seen her lovely Blue Blur recently. Where could he be? Probably off on another adventure, but then again, she couldn't help but wonder. Maybe he was having another phase of hiding from her, being so shy and all. No matter; she'd just have to find his newest route, and chase him there. Nothing would stop Amy Rose from reaching her dream!

"Miss Rose, the patient is available now. Would you like to see him?"

"That's why I've been waiting here." Patiently walking out the door, Amy continued to wonder…where was Sonic?

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Entering the room, Amy was surprised by two things: One, the fact that the doctor, a light gray wolf, was still in the room. Secondly, that Silver was now seated in a wheelchair. The young hedgie was investigating the device in half confusion and half amazement. He glanced up as Amy entered, eager to see her.

"Isn't in incredible?" he asked. "I never would have thought that you could use a chair like this, but it's perfect!" She half-smiled back at him, turning to the doctor.

"So how is he?" She asked. The doctor cleared his throat, peering over a clipboard in his hand at various notes.

"While the rest of him has recovered well," the wolf began, "his legs have not progressed much past any wounds in the skin. A few of his bones were broken- that isn't the big problem, but we're getting to it- we think that something has damaged the nervous systems in his legs. Particularly, most every nerve in his lower legs are now dysfunctional." The doctor paused. "Are you following this?"

"…Basically, the nerves in his legs are busted. So what does that do?"

"In terms you would understand, the nerves are the connection between the leg muscles and the brain. If you think of moving your leg, the message is sent along the nervous system, and then your leg moves. However, if the nerves are severed, then no messages can get to your legs. So with Silver here…he has minimal feeling in his legs, and is unable to move them. The upper legs work fine, but anything below, say, the kneecap, are not going to move no matter how much thinking he does." The doctor, of course, did not know about Silver's telekinesis. Amy wondered whether he could simply move his legs with that, but she was no doctor, and asking this guy would probably be risky.

"I think I get it," Amy replied. "So he basically can't walk. Can this be fixed?"

"No. Something like a break in the nervous system is permanent. Unless someone finds a way to fix stuff like this, your friend here isn't going to walk ever again. Not to crush your hopes or anything, but the chances of a miracle like that are slim, and will be for a very long time." The hedge-girl nodded slowly, only able to say "Oh," as her reply.

"Well, I must be off; lots of patients to check on, you know. However, I will need to negotiate soon on the matter of who's paying for the hospital bill, but that can wait a bit longer. Good day to you." The wolf doctor turned briskly, the sounds of his footsteps echoing down the hallways as he left. Amy, meanwhile, turned to Silver.

"Did you understand any of that?"

"Yeah; he explained it to me a bit before you got here." The boy pushed the wheels a bit, moving the wheelchair back and forth. "I can't walk again, basically." He sighed, the smile on his face fading. "This means it's going to be a bit harder to get around, I guess. Makes me wonder what the others back home will think of me when I go back."

Jade eyes stared at him. "After what's happened to you, you'd still risk going back there?"

"I have to. I promised I'd return one day, and I keep my promises." His golden eyes stared back at her, seemingly glowing a bit with memory of his mission. Remembering her earlier idea, Amy spoke up.

"Say Silver, I was thinking…could you perhaps move your legs with telekinesis?" Blinking in surprise, the off-white hedgehog pondered this.

"Not sure. I probably could for a bit, but for maybe ten minutes at the most if I push myself really hard. Once my powers get stronger, I may be able to do it for awhile longer, but it's still I risky business. It's alright; this isn't too bad. There's worse, right?" He nodded to himself, a habit Amy noticed him doing a lot when thinking about things like this.

"Hey, if I make it, there'll be a lot of people who'll appreciate these chairwheels," Silver continued, not knowing the name of his new device yet. "Iblis damaged a lot of people, and losses like this aren't too uncommon."

"I see." Every conversation about that future years away involved that beast in some way, shape, or form. It was hard to believe how big of an effect it would have on the planet. Amy remembered a few years back, fighting the multiple forms of Chaos with Sonic and the others. Just replace the water with fire, and Perfect Chaos sounded a lot like Iblis. How odd.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

A few more conversations cropped up, and eventually, they ended up on the topic of what exactly Silver was going to do now.

"For one thing," Amy explained, "You don't have a place to stay. While some people can stay in the hospital forever, you aren't sick enough or anything to be one of them. Speaking of which, we'll need to do something about that hospital bill the doctor keeps mentioning…I swear, all the doctors nowadays are just in it for the money, aren't they?"

"He was nice enough," Silver replied with a shrug. "For money, I could always get a job. That would pay things off!"

Amy shook her head in exasperation. "That won't do. Only a high-class job could pay for hospital bills and a place of your own, as well as all that requires. Then there's the matter of a job that would hire you, and…" Seeing the disappointed look on her friend's face, she stopped. "Not that there isn't one! Look Silver, we'll just need to find another way to pay things off for now."

The pink hedgehog began pacing the room in thought, absently twirling one of her hair-quills as she did so. Silver watched quietly, not sure of what else to do. Amy had done a lot already, so he felt guilty for leaving it up to her to think of something. Not that he could think of anything better, but there had to be something.

"A-ha! I got it!" She exclaimed. "You can stay with me at my place!" The boy's jaw dropped at this idea.

"No, I couldn't! You've done enough already Amy. If I stayed at your place, I'd be a burden! I'll figure out something, honest!"

"You can figure something out all you like, but that isn't going to change my mind. You're coming to stay with me, and that is final!" If there was one thing Amy was known for besides her obsession of Sonic, it was her stubbornness. Anyone passing that would meet the third thing she was known for: her prized Piko Piko hammer. Silver remembered the hammer well, and the robots it smashed as well.

Amy, meanwhile, was on a roll with plans. "As for pay, I can borrow some money from my parents! They're pretty darn rich, and they won't mind if it's for a friend. We can always pay them back later, and it will all be worth it!"

"But Amy-"

"Don't worry about it! Now, I'm going to go see the doctor, and see how long I have until you can get out of here. I'll be back in a bit!" Full of excitement, the hyperactive girl nearly plowed over a nurse as she ran to find the wolf doctor. Silver sighed as he watched her go.

"What am I getting into now?" He asked, just like when he had been dragged to Dusty Desert with her the first time. Not getting an answer from anything, he began to wonder what life in a house was like in this time…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**Good for a second chapter? I hope the explanation for the leg paralysis was alright; if it's not, please tell me one that would work better, and I'll fix things to work that way. Thank you!**

**How is Silver going to handle moving in with Amy? We'll see soon!**


	4. Chapter 3

**For some strange reason, I find it easier to update this story than my other ones. Not sure why, though. Well, here's the next chapter, so enjoy.**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

There were a number of things Silver couldn't believe about the future. The newest of these things was exactly how pink Amy's house was. Almost every wall, ceiling, and piece of furniture ranged from red to a bright pink. The only exceptions were the hordes of Sonic merchandise that littered the rooms. Dolls, photos, figurines, clothing…the list went on.

"Pretty, don't you think?" The fangirl asked as she wheeled him in. "It took me so long to collect them! I think my favorite is this one." She grabbed one of the numerous Sonic dolls, showing it to Silver. The plush toy looked almost exactly like the real thing, but made of cloth and felt.

"It's…nice." the off-white hedgehog replied nervously. "If you don't mind my asking, where do I sleep?" As miraculous as it was, Amy had managed to convince the doctors to let Silver live with her, and for her parents to pay the hospital bill. The girl had already found a job to make up for the cost of paying them back, if that wasn't enough!

"Your room? One sec, I need to make sure I didn't forget to clean anything." Rushing off, she left Silver alone in the living room while she checked. The boy looked around, not able to remember anything like this in his life. Sure, there was a lot of red in his time from Iblis and the flames, but…pink? Blue? The only things he could remember with that were clothes, like Blaze's.

Blaze…well, he was in the past now, right? That meant he was already one step closer to finding his feline friend. Now, he just needed to find someone smart enough to help him with that. Maybe Amy knew somebody? The only person he himself knew was Sonic's enemy, Dr. Eggman, and he wasn't at all willing to ask him. He also knew Soleanna's king might have been able, but the king was long dead…Silver remembered going into the past with the black hedgehog (Shadow, right?) and witnessing the sealing of Iblis inside of the young princess's body. Well, since those two were out of the question, then who could help?

"Alright, come on in! Room's clean now!" Snapped out of his thoughts, the time traveler clumsily wheeled his way into his new room. The walls were slightly lighter than the others, and there was a considerable lack of Sonic decorations lying about. A nice size bed rested in the corner of the room, with a window a few feet above it. On the opposite wall was a door which led to the closet, and a small dresser, but that was about it. However, it was still much more luxurious than anything in the future.

"So? What do you think Silver?" Amy asked, eyes shining in anticipation.

"It's great! Thank you Amy." Golden eyes drifted toward the window, watching a few small birds flying in a bright blue sky. Suddenly, another figure joined them; a small blue creature tipped with yellow, wearing a bright red bow-tie. The fangirl beside him gasped.

"Cheese? What are you doing here? Oh, I bet Cream's at the door and I didn't hear her! One sec, okay?" Rushing out of the room, the off-white hedgehog was left in confusion until she returned, a small rabbit girl by her side.

"Silver, I would like you to meet Cream. Cream, this is Silver." The rabbit, not sure what to make of the hedgehog, simply curtsied.

"It's very nice to meet you Mr. Silver," she greeted formally, as the small blue creature floated over to her. "Oh, and this is my chao, Cheese. Say hello, Cheese."

"Chao chao!" Cheese replied (Silver hoped he did, at least, since he didn't understand what "chao" meant). Silver nodded, simply saying, "It's nice to meet you too Cream."

"So he's a new friend of yours Amy?" Cream asked. The elder girl laughed.

"Not exactly a 'new' friend, but I guess you could say that. He's going to be living with me for awhile." The rabbit's chocolate-colored eyes widened.

"But I thought a guy could only live with you if you were married! You didn't give up on Mr. Sonic, did you?"

"Of course not Cream! We aren't married either; there's nothing wrong with two people living together without being married. Shadow and Rouge live together as friends too, right?"

"Oh, of course! Sorry for asking." While Amy explained that there was nothing to be sorry for, there was a tinge of red to her cheeks. Silver didn't understand why; they shouldn't be flushed from exertion or heat, because neither were present (he actually found the present quite chilly in comparison to his time), so he could figure out no reason for the off-colored cheeks. Deciding to ask her about it later, he simply listened in on the two girl's conversation.

"So, have you seen Sonic at all recently? I haven't seen him for weeks now!" Amy exclaimed.

"Really? I heard he's been hanging out around Soleanna recently," Cream replied, adjusting Cheese's bowtie as she said so. "He goes to Soleanna every day or two, stops by the castle, and then runs off somewhere; it's a different place each time. Then he comes back at the end of the day."

"Hmm…well that's odd." Pacing a little, Amy struck a thinking pose. "Why Soleanna? He doesn't hang around cities that much, and the only person we know there is Princess Elise…you remember me telling you about Elise, right?"

"Yes. Amy, you don't think Mr. Sonic is with Elise, do you?"

"Of course not! Maybe for visits, but we all know Sonic's heart belongs to me…though I do know Elise likes him. Hmm…maybe Elise is sending Sonic on missions for her, to help the kingdom and get closer to him!"

"Oh Amy…"

Silver shrugged; his new roommate sure was obsessed with the Blue Blur. He briefly wondered if there was such a disease as Compulsive Sonic Obsession disorder (having heard two of the three terms in the hospital), and whether or not it was contagious.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

After a few hours, Cream's visit came to an end. Having already said goodbye to Amy, she went to find Silver. The newcomer was in the living room, investigating some of the Sonic merchandise. The rabbit poked him lightly on the shoulder to get his attention before speaking.

"I was getting ready to leave, so I came to say goodbye," she explained.

"Oh? Leaving already?"

"Yeah…Mommy wouldn't like it if I missed dinner. Well, I'll see you later Mr. Silver! I'll bring you some flowers next time, alright?"

Silver raised a brow, looking confused. "…Flowers?"

"Yes! I love picking flowers, and all my friends like them! Since you're Amy's friend, that means you're my friend too!"

"That's nice, but…excuse me for asking, but what are flowers?" Seeing that the hedgehog was serious about the question, Cream's face went blank. He didn't know about flowers?!? But flowers were some of the most beautiful, colorful things on the planet! Her mom had even told her that flowers grew on every continent of the planet!

"Well," the young rabbit began, "they're these plants. When they first grow, they just look like a bunch of leaves. But after a while, during the spring and summer, they bloom, and become all these pretty colors! They smell really nice too and…you really haven't seen them before?"

"Not really." Seeing the disbelief on her face, he quickly explained, "my hometown was, err…near a volcano. There was a lot of lava, so plants couldn't grow that well." Well, it was mostly true; Iblis was an awful lot like a volcano.

Cream nodded sadly. "Oh…I feel so sorry for that town! Flowers are really nice…I know! I'll pick a lot of flowers for you, so you can see what they look like!" Her face lifted rather quickly, and after a final goodbye to the two hedgehogs, she ran home to tell her mother about her new mission.

"She seems nice," Silver said to Amy.

"Yeah, but she's still a kid…she'll be turning seven soon, you know." There was a pause. "Still…I think we'll have to explain your being from the future to everyone sooner or later. They'll start to wonder…"

"Everyone?" The off-white hedgehog asked meekly. The idea of having the whole world know about his time-traveling did not bode well with him.

"By everyone, I just mean Sonic and the gang. Speaking of which, you need to meet everyone. And I mean actually meet them. Sure you've seen them, but you don't actually know them, right?" By now, Silver was able to notice when Amy began to go off on one of her ideas, and now was one of them.

"Well, you haven't actually met Big or the Chaotix…or Cream's mom, Vanilla. Then there's Shadow, Rouge, and Omega…they're okay, but not too friendly. Knuckles is alright, but he's wound up with his Master Emerald duties. Then there's Tails; he's a genius, you know. Say, maybe he can figure out a way to fix your legs! Some say he has the same IQ level as Eggman."

"That'd be useful. Besides, there are…some other things I need to ask about."

"Perfect! I'll talk to him about letting us visit his lab soon! Maybe I can also ask about Sonic…" As the devoted fangirl began to talk about her beloved Sonic again, Silver was busy thinking. He had found himself a genius, and hopefully, a way to find Blaze. Thing was…was this too good to be true?

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**Well, now he's met Cream! As you can probably tell, things aren't going to go perfectly forever. So what'll happen next? We'll see next time!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Just a heads-up; Updates are either going to be more routine, or less often now, since I started school. Just so ya' know, okay? Good. **

**Oh, and much thanks to all your wonderful feedback. It's really helpful and nice to know that so many people like the fic so far. I'll try to continue doing so well, but remember; any suggestions help. Well, that's about it. On with the fic!**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Even with the room flooded in the darkness of the night, Silver felt safer then he ever had back in Crisis City. Granted, he had developed insomnia as a survival habit, for one never knew when and where Iblis would attack next. While the fiery beast was now gone, insomnia was a bit harder to get rid of. The off-white hedgehog found himself tossing and turning under the blankets, and still not used to the inability to move his legs, was having a hassle doing so. Still, it was always better than sitting helpless.

Out of the corner of golden eyes, Silver spotted a figure. It cast a looming shadow from its perch atop the dresser, two green dots visible in the blackness. Remembering that his long-adversary shared the same eye color, his fur stood on end. Iblis…

Bolting upright out of instinct, the time traveler remembered that the flaming tyrant was dead. Fear of being killed without warning was senseless now; he was safe here. Realizing this, he turned to get out of bed, until the ever-present fact that his legs were busted dawned on him. He mentally cursed, and so, began groping around anything within reach for his wheelchair. It was nowhere.

"Darn it!" It had never struck him before how much his legs meant. A certain term came to mind; "You don't know the worth of water until the well's run dry." Well, wasn't that obvious? Sighing, the fact that he was telekinetic came back, along with the fact that he was unusually forgetful when only half-awake.

The mysterious figure in question was actually none other than a Sonic plushie. The doll stared back at Silver with the sewn-on smile it always wore, much like the actual hero.

"So you're the one that was keeping me awake," Silver muttered. "Well, I never asked to share a room with you, now did I Sonic?" He paused, as if waiting for a reply. "My god, I'm talking to a toy. How stupid is this? I mean, why does Amy obsess over you so much?" He sighed. "I know you're a good guy and all, but I still can't help but think of you as the Iblis Trigger. I mean, you both have the exact same colored eyes. Who'd know?" The doll continued to smile.

_"Amy has green eyes too,"_ It seemed to say.

"Yeah, but hers are different. They're lighter, and calmer, and…" The hedge-boy shook his head. "This is nonsense. I'm talking to a toy about things that don't mean anything anymore. What is my problem…?" Agitated by his one-man conversation, he chucked the doll in a random direction. He heard the blue-felt body hit the wall, and land on the ground with a soft thump.

"Sweet dreams to you too." Silver replied sarcastically. Tossing the blankets back on, he resumed the task of trying to fall asleep again…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Amy hadn't been able to sleep either. Various half-thoughts and ideas kept coming into her head, but to no avail. Some were of Sonic, or how to help Silver, her parents, and other various things. She hadn't even lied down in bed, and instead just sat on the edge thinking.

"I have got to do something to clear my head," The pink hedge-girl decided. "But who would be awake at this hour? Rouge would, but I'm not sure she'd understand, and she might be on a mission…same with Shadow and Omega. Not that Omega would understand anyway…"

She flopped onto her magenta-colored bed, thinking of various people. "Sonic barely ever uses his cell phone…Cream and Vanilla are asleep…the Chaotix and Big wouldn't understand…Knuckles? No, he's probably watching that emerald of his with one eye open. Hmm…well, there's Tails." The kitsune had the oddest sleep patterns of anyone the fangirl had ever met: He would stay up late for weeks on end, but sleep in every other day to keep from crashing. Wondering if today was a sleep day of his or not, she reached for her phone, clicking his name on speed-dial.

"Tails here, how may I help you?"

"Hiya Tails! It's me, Amy!" There was a pause on the other end.

"Sorry Amy, but I don't know where Sonic is."

"It's not about THAT silly!" She huffed, even though she was going to ask that eventually. "I have some things I need help with. Do you remember Silver?"

"Silver…silver…Silver Sonic, or that one white hedgehog named Silver?"

"The white one, that's the one. Well…he's at my apartment."

There was an uneasy shuffling noise on Tail's end. "And what is he doing there?"

"He lives with me. Hey, don't freak out Tails! Let me explain first!" Though the fox was about to protest that he hadn't freaked out yet, he calmly listened to his friend's explanation about the time-traveling visitor. Every once in a while he would ask for more details (he was extremely interested in how exactly Silver got to the past in the first place), but for the most part, he let Amy talk.

"So it seems to me," he explained, "that we'll need to figure out a way to get Silver home eventually. We'll also need various files that should prove helpful in reconstructing the future. I'll need to talk with him about what they do have. And finally, we'll need to see if there's a way to fix his legs…from what I read, missing only the lower section of the nerves in his legs isn't fatal. Then again, I'm a mechanic, not a doctor."

"You aren't just a mechanic Tails!"

"I know, but still…I'll check up on my files. Besides, even if it is permanent, I could find something else. Maybe I could develop some artificial nerves, or something to amplify his telekinesis…yeah, I could study that! I could just develop some pseudo-waves using my-"

"It's great that you might be able to help!" Amy cut in before the kitsune got overly geeky on her. "So, when should I bring him by? Tomorrow?"

"I'm, uh…I'm busy tomorrow. I might be open Thursday, but I…"

"Alrighty, Thursday it is! See you then Tails!" The phone was hung up before the fox could say otherwise, and the hedge-girl was checking her calendar to see what day it was. Saturday. Perfect!

"And maybe by then, I could find out where Sonic is too!" She exclaimed to herself. "Killing one…two…four birds with one stone! Amy Rose, you are a genius!"

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Elsewhere in Soleanna, the sky was nearly ebony in color. Small pricks of light were scattered about the sky as if they weren't sure where exactly they belonged. Near the entrance to dusty desert, a large figure wearing a trench coat investigated the area.

"I see…" he muttered. "This Chaos Energy trace is similar to the time portal I made a few months ago…and if I'm not mistaken…" The figure punched in a few buttons of what looked like an expensive calculator.

"It is. They both led to the same time period." A glimmer of white teeth shown from the figure's face. Above him, the moon shone bright, revealing the pale features of the man. Human, eyes covered in dark goggles, and no hair except for a bushy mustache under a bright pink nose.

"According to my research, that is also the time period those lava and crystalline creatures came from. And from what I found out about Iblis and Mephiles the Dark…from Omega's data-drive…" The figure grinned. "Yosh! This shall be interesting indeed." Turning around, the figure strode away under the cover of night, before the sun revealed who he was. Upon morning's arrival, not a trace was left…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**For Amy's part, it is actually four birds with one stone…she must have some impressive throwing skills to do that. Haha, I crack me up…anyway, I managed to do a lil' bit of research (well, I asked a teacher) about the leg paralysis thing…turns out I figured out something perfect for my scheme! Bwahaha! And you-know-who appeared as well! Double bwahaha! X3 Well, see you next time!**


	6. Chapter 5

**I didn't realize how long it's been since I updated this…oops. I don't have much of a clue, sorry…but I did write a Silvamy oneshot, at least! It's a songfic called "More than a Memory," if you wanted to know…no, I'm not shamelessly plugging. Really.**

**I don't own Amy, Silver, Honey, or any related characters. I guess I own Café Meri, though. Not like anyone would steal an imaginary café, right? Oh, and I will do something special for anyone who can figure out where I originally used Café Meri. I'll probably do a free request and a digitally-scanned cookie, who knows. **

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

While it wasn't necessarily urgent, paying off the money borrowed from her parents, Amy considered it one of her top priorities. While most of her money came from her missions defeating Eggman and other world-rescuing tasks, these were mainly used for paying off rent, bills, food, and other necessities. This of course meant that only a bit was left for herself, and now a large portion of that would go toward her parents. So, a job was in order.

Luckily, Café Meri was hiring. Meri was a sweet little coffee shop that Amy often stopped at for a nice bit of caffeine during those days when she couldn't stay awake. The place was covered in a lot of pink, but that of course was no problem to Amy. The owners were nice people, as were the usual customers that stopped by. To tell the truth, the pay wasn't half bad either, so it was the perfect job for a girl like Amy. To tell the truth, it was actually her first job ever, but she didn't mind.

"Good morning, and welcome to Café Meri! What can I get you today?" It was a job as a waitress, to tell the truth, to greet all the customers the exact same way, only changing it for the appropriate times. Even after a few hours on the job, this was apparent to Amy. However, she noticed that with the customer she was currently speaking too, she knew this person.

"Amy! I haven't seen you in forever!" The voice belonged to a small yellow cat, whose name was Honey. With a girlish squeal, the two girls embraced each other like only two girls can do.

"Honey, where have you been? I haven't seen you since that fighting competition for the Chaos Emeralds…how many years ago? Two, three?"

"Three and a half. I was out east, chasing after a certain someone. So, what about you?" Before the hedge-girl could reply, she caught a passing glance from the manager.

"…Love to stay and chat Honey, but I've got work to do. It's my first day here, and I certainly don't want to get fired. Could we meet after my shift?"

"Ah, I understand. Sure, I can catch you then." The duo separated, and the rest of Amy's work period seemed dauntingly slow. She periodically caught herself staring at the clock, the hands inching their way in a repetitive circle.

_"I hope Silver isn't getting too bored at home. Well, I left him some books and stuff, so he should be fine. Besides, I taught him how to use the phone if he needs anything, and I gave him my cell-phone number…maybe I should call him?"_ Amy reached into her pocket, realizing that she had forgotten the cell phone at home. Mentally cursing the gadget, she rummaged through her pockets and wallet for any spare change. None. With partial concern in the back of her mind, she finished her work for the day, and sat down at a table now occupied by Honey.

"Right on time, I see," The kitty said with a smirk. "So then, how are you? You seem a little down at the moment."

"Do I?" Amy asked. "Well, I just forgot my cell phone at home, and I don't have any change, so I can't check on Silver." Seeing her friend's confused expression, she added, "He's a friend of mine who's staying with me for awhile. He's only been with me for about a week or two." That feline smirk grew bigger, and Amy figured if it got any wider, it'd be like the Cheshire Cat from "Alice in Wonderland."

"Ah, I see. I'm surprised."

"…Surprised?"

"That you gave up on Sonic. You seemed pretty obsessed last time I saw or heard of you." The cat suppressed a laugh at Amy's face, a look of shock and embarrassment. "Just kidding, just kidding doll. So, he isn't your boyfriend, or is he?"

The pink fangirl straightened up, remembering how much of a romantic Honey was. "No, he's just a friend. And a very interesting one at that. You see…" Despite omitting some of the parts about the time-traveler's past (like the fact he was a time-traveler in the first place), Amy felt much better getting it off her chest and telling someone. Sure, she had told Tails, but there was a fine difference between telling a boy something, and telling a girl. Honey nodded, the smirk on her face changing to an expression of awe.

"That's so sweet of you, taking someone in like that!" The golden feline exclaimed. "And to think he only remembered your name…how romantic! Are you sure you two aren't going out?"

"No Honey, nothing like that! Sonic's the only man I'll ever want, and the only one I'll ever have." She meant it too, pounding her fist on the table to prove her point.

The cat nodded in understanding. "Trust me doll, I know how you feel on that one. I've been chasing my man, Mighty, for so long…I heard he headed east for some training, so that's why I was there for so long. Yet I didn't see hide nor hair of him…but I haven't given up yet! I'll find that boy, and oh, when I do, I'm dragging him straight to the altar."

"_Same old Honey,"_ Amy thought to herself. _"Both of us chasing our perfect match, and yet we still haven't succeeded after all this time. But we will, I know it."_

"By the way, Amy…" Honey said, snapping her fellow fangirl out of her thoughts, "There's a festival in Emerald Town at the end of the month. You remember what it's for, right…?"

The pink hedgegirl thought for a minute, and then felt stupid for not knowing the answer sooner. "Sonic's birthday! It's his sweet sixteen, finally!" Standing up in her seat, Amy pointed in the direction of Emerald Town. "And when he does, I will be there to wish him the happiest birthday of all! And it will be the happiest, because I'll be there!!!"

"You go girl!" Honey exclaimed alongside her. "I suppose I'll drop by too. I mean, who knows! My man might be there as well! I know he's worked with Sonic before." The golden cat nodded. "Yeah, Mighty, you are gonna' be mine!" Turning to her pink friend, Honey extended a hand. "Let's have bet on who gets their man first. Loser pays for half of the winner's wedding, alright?"

Amy watched the gloved hand for a few seconds, before reaching out and shaking it herself. "Deal…as long as the loser bakes the cake as well."

"I like how you think, doll. I like how you think."

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

After finally saying goodbye, the Blue Blur's fangirl plodded down the street toward her own apartment. Catching a glance at a clock in a nearby window, she was surprised to find that it was already half-past five. She was supposed to have been home two hours ago! Running the rest of the way, Amy burst into the doorway panting, hoping nothing had happened to her companion.

The off-white hedgehog had been asleep, resting his head on his arms. One golden eye inched open, staring at Amy.

"Oh, you're back. Good…afternoon?"

"Evening," Amy corrected, walking to the sink for a drink of water. "Sorry I'm late…I had to catch up with an old friend of mine." Silver nodded slowly, only half-awake. He still wasn't used to a regular sleeping pattern yet, so he was often awake at odd hours, and conked out at other ones.

"It's alright Amy, no problem." A small gadget began to glow a faint greenish-blue color, and then floated over to the fangirl. "You forgot this, by the way." She briefly thanked him, gulping down a glass of water. The liquid felt good slipping down her throat.

"So, did you enjoy the books I left for you?" She asked once she finished.

"Books? Oh yeah…I did. I even managed to figure out what some of the words meant."

"…You can't read?" Amy asked, rather surprised.

"No, I don't think so. There weren't a lot of things to read back home, since Iblis burned pretty much everything. But I remember seeing some words, so I figured out what a few of the words meant in here." Silver lifted up a book that had fallen on the floor. "I don't mind, though. I just imagined what the story was about on my own. I like this one the best; it has pictures, so I have a bit more of an idea on how the story went."

The girl watching him felt stupid again, this time for not considering the lack of books and such. But it made sense; paper was flammable, after all, so a giant lava monster would have no problem with burning it up.

"So, what do you want for dinner?" Amy asked, trying to get her mind off of the previous subject. "I was thinking seafood tonight myself…you know, fish?"

"I know fish," Silver confirmed. "Whatever you want, it's fine by me…except that one thing…what was it? The one that was all steamy and dark green, and it smelled so bad the neighbors were complaining?"

"Boiled cabbage?"

"Yeah. No boiled cabbage." Amy giggled at the request; it was bad enough to get the neighbors complaining, and she had made Silver try it anyway. She briefly wondered what Sonic would think of cabbage…

"You're thinking about Sonic again," the time-traveler pointed out flatly, opening another eye.

"How'd you guess?" the fangirl asked. "Can you read minds too?"

Silver shook his head. "No, but I noticed you staring at a Sonic plushie…which often means you're thinking of Sonic." He smirked. "No offense, but you can be awfully predictable."

Amy thought about this for a minute. "I'm not predictable."

"Well," her off-white companion replied, "you are sometimes. You act obsessed when you hear of Sonic, for one thing. Not to say that you always are, but-"

"-You think I'm predictable, do you?" A hammer was brandished, inches away from Silver's face. "How predictable would it be for me to hit you in the face with this?"

"…Not sure," he replied. "You like hitting things when you're mad, but I don't think you'd hurt someone you're helping…"

There was an awkward silence, and Amy put the hammer away. Things would have seemed fine, save for the evil grin on her face. She sauntered over to the refrigerator, fishing around in one of the lower cabinets. Finding her prize, she pulled it out for Silver to see clearly.

"Oh no…"

"Oh yes!" She replied with a grin. "It wouldn't be predictable for me to cook cabbage again, now would it? Now, how about that fish…"

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**Though it took awhile, this chapter was fun to write. Since Honey was barely used, it's nice to have free reign on her personality. The conversation with Amy and Silver was amusing too. Personally, I don't like cabbage either…yuck. X3**

**Well, see you next time!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Huzzah, I finally updated again…I hope everyone had a happy holiday, break, or whatever? I did! So, here's the new chapter!**

**I do not own Silver, Amy, Tails, or any other related character. And I must thank my health teacher, Mrs. Hanson, for supplying info. Oh, and you readers for being so patient with me. X3**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

If there was anything to be said about Tail's workshop, it was that it was cluttered. Machines and blueprints were scattered everywhere, from the floor to the walls, and even the ceiling. Silver had to continuously move things out of the way with telekinesis so there was enough room to get his wheelchair through. He had grown a dislike for the wheeled chair and its bulkiness, but he supposed it was better than not being able to move at all. Amy, meanwhile, simply stepped over the gadgets and knick-knacks, wondering where the kitsune was.

It was Thursday, the day Tails said he'd be open to talk with Silver. He hadn't answered the door, so Amy figured he hadn't heard them knock, and simply entered. They were now trekking through the living room toward the garage entrance, where Tails would undoubtedly be working on his newest invention, whatever the heck it was.

"I bet you haven't seen technology like this before, have you Silver?" Amy asked.

"No, not really…" In truth, he could only guess the purpose of one machine out of every twenty, and the rest were mysteries. Then again, pretty much everything in this time was a mystery to him.

A nearby door -its color unnoticeable with all those blueprints taped over it- suddenly had dark gray smoke creeping out from behind it, along with the classic smell of something burning. Within minutes, a yellow kitsune with blackened arms and face dashed out, coughing his lungs out. He finished his coughing fit, peeked back inside the garage, nodded, and shut the door again.

As he did so, his azure eyes widened at the sight of both Amy and Silver in front of him, perplexed expressions on both their faces.

"Oh, you're here! I almost forgot that you were coming…sorry about that." The fox glanced around the room, not noticing that a fair amount of his gadgets and books no longer cluttered the walkway. "Just make yourselves at home…I'd better wash up real fast." He dashed into the kitchen, where the sound of water could be heard.

Amy flopped down on the couch, while Silver positioned his wheelchair nearby. He felt a bit better now, since he could finally get some information, and Tails didn't seem too upset about them just barging in. The aforementioned fox returned shortly, a few more gadgets and blueprints in his grasp.

"I stayed up all last night researching," he started happily, "and a few other days too. So I have some good news, some bad news, and news that can be taken either way. And no Amy, I haven't seen Sonic recently. So, which news would you like first?"

"…How about in order?" Silver replied skeptically, while the pink fangirl stared at Tails, flabbergasted that he had predicted her question.

"Alright, in order. Good news; I managed to check your files and stuff from the doctor. Your legs seem to be the only problem, and also, you can probably head back to your time eventually. Bad news; the damage to the nerves in the lower half of both legs is permanent. Also, heading back to your time may prove dangerous at the moment, due to the time stream still recovering from your previous endeavors. Especially with the fight with Solaris; having almost all time end really messes things up. That's probably why you were damaged in the first place."

The off-white hedgehog nodded slowly. "So basically, I won't be able to go back to the future for awhile, and I can't walk." At this point, the fox grinned. It was the kind of grin one gets from someone smarter than you, when they know something you don't, and already know your reaction to the information.

"I never said that, Silver. Apparently, the doctor you spoke to was rather inexperienced. It isn't that common, after all. However…it is possible to walk again."

"And that's the good news?" Silver was practically out of his seat (any more, and he'd probably fall out), holding on to every word Tails said.

"Actually, that's the news that can be taken either way. Basically, it'll take awhile, but you'll have to teach yourself how to walk all over again, using the upper half of your legs, and not the lower. Here, let me demonstrate…"

Onto a nearby table, he set down the gadgets he had been holding: two almost identical, toy-like robots. One was labeled A, and the other B.

"Now, robot A is a normal person. He walks using both halves of his legs, like so." He wound up the robot, setting it down. It moved fluidly, like an actual person walking, until it walked absently off the table.

"This time, we'll use robot B. Robot B is like Silver, in that he can't use the lower half of his legs. Now watch." He wound this one up, setting it down like the first one. Unlike the first, however, this one moved more like the robots and Frankenstein from old TV shows, with their legs more or less stiff.

"You see, this robot had to kind of kick the lower parts of the legs forward, so it looks more rigid. It's also slower and more difficult on slopes and certain terrain…but it's better than not being able to walk at all, right?" As Tails finished his explanation, the robot finally made its way to the end of the table, falling off just like the first. Their legs kicked up at the air, gradually slowing until the movement ceased.

Amy and Silver exchanged glances. Hers held one of joy, but with a trace of uncertainty. His eyes were full of hope, golden and glistening.

A chance. He was given a chance.

Amy was happy for him, she really was. But two things concerned her. One; how long would it take for him to walk again, or would he give up first? And secondly…once how long was it until he could go home? And would he? Her mind told her that, if it was just his choice, he would probably head back because of his "promise." A part of her felt sad at this…but she wasn't sure why.

"Alright then," Tails began, "now I'll just need to talk to Silver about those blueprints for the future. Now, if you'd be so kind as to come this way…" Amy watched as the boys left, letting herself lie down on the couch. She still couldn't figure out what was wrong! She should be happy for Silver, but something bugged her.

_"He'll have to go away again…back to his own time."_ She sighed; she didn't like losing friends. She had moved once, when she was a little kid. The fangirl didn't remember much about it, except crying once she figured out she couldn't see her old friends again. But she had made new ones, of course, but it always made her sad when they left. It was like…giving someone a part of you, becoming their friend. But when they left, they took that little bit with them…and who knew if you could ever get it back. It was a small piece you gave, but always missing, sometimes abruptly dragging your memories back to that person.

Maybe Silver felt the same way towards people at his time. But then again, as he had explained before, people died all the time. Friends, rivals, even complete strangers, suddenly getting ripped from your life, disappearing. It made her sad to think about it. In a way, she was surprised that he could even trust anyone anymore, since he was probably so used to everyone going away. But another part of her -the part that was usually right- reminded her that Silver was a strong person. Strong and optimistic. He'd be able to make it…

But did he really have to leave?

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Silver really was amazed by all the hard work Tails had put into this. All the blueprints, formulas, notes…they were all extraordinary. However, all of the fox's explanations were really long and confusing. Personally, he was scared that he'd doze off, and the kitsune would notice and decide not to help him.

"…and that's the last one for now!" Tails exclaimed eventually. "Any questions?"

The off-white hedgehog nodded. "Yes, I do have one. This doesn't have to do with the blueprints or anything, but…" Now he could finally ask, but it felt so strange! He almost felt stupid for asking, since the answer would most likely be "impossible" or "no way; are you stupid?" or something of the sort.

"…Silver?"

"Is it possible to find someone transported to another dimension?!?" The time-traveler finally blurted out. Tails seemed surprised, to say the least, but thought about it.

"…Depends…" he mused. "There are thousands of dimensions parallel to this one, so it'd be hard to find a specific person unless you knew which dimension they were in, or could track them somehow…" he paused again. "No offense, but that was rather out of the blue, if you know what I mean. Why do you ask?"

Silver was quiet, slowly piecing the explanation together again. "When I was in the future, and defeated Iblis…I tried to seal it inside myself, like it was sealed in Princess Elise. However, it wouldn't accept me. Instead, it accepted my friend Blaze, and…she was forced into another dimension, I think. The emeralds did it, I felt it. Thing is, I'm not sure…I don't even know if she's alive."

Tails watched him sympathetically. It was indeed hard to lose someone…he had lost count of how many times he was scared that Sonic was gone, or wondered about his own family. But such a request…

"I'll think about it," the fox finally said. "However, it may be difficult, and even if we find her alive somewhere, who knows what the consequences would be. Especially with Iblis-"

"I know that!" Silver cried, infuriated. "I know…I just want to see her again. I want to know she's alright." It was all he could do right now to keep back the flood of emotions coming through with these chances he was given. Being able to walk again. Help for his home and people. And now…possibly Blaze.

"Sorry…" he added. "Sorry. I should be thanking you, really."

"No problem!" Tails claimed. "It's been awhile since I've had anything to do except modifying my vehicles, so this is perfect!" Whether he was honest, or just trying to reassure him, Silver couldn't tell. Either way, it helped.

"Well, can't wait here too long," Tails said. "We probably shouldn't keep Amy waiting too long."

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**And that's a wrap until next time. Not much else to say…so, I'll just see you next time!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Is it an update? Yes! I've been slow on my fics recently, but I DID have enough inspiration for this! So, without further ado…Chapter 7!**

**I own no one here. Sega does, I don't.**

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

It was sometime around midnight that night, when Amy was awoken by a loud noise that she couldn't quite identify. A pity too; she had been in the middle of the best dream with Sonic (although just about any dream with Sonic was the best). Oh well; it was probably some stray, small animal knocking over a trashcan. She sighed, settling back down to sleep…

_**Thwump!**_

Now that, she was certain, wasn't a trashcan. That sounded more like someone…falling? But who could that be?

Oh no, Silver!

Amy bolted out of bed, bare feet cold against the floor. She hastily tossed her slippers on as she left her room, bursting into her roommate's. Before she flicked the lights on, her eyes caught a blue-green glow. But as the light bulb brought light to the room, the only sight that greeted her was Silver sitting on the bed.

"Oh, hi Amy," he greeted, seeming a bit surprised. "Did I wake you?" The pink fangirl just stood there for a few minutes, staring at him. She couldn't really figure out quite what to say.

"…What were you doing?" She finally asked. "I thought I heard a noise…was that you?"

The off-white hedgehog's cheeks were slightly red, probably embarrassed by having Amy barge in like she did. "Well, since Tail's said I could walk again someday, I decided to start practicing as soon as I could. I figured I could try standing, at least." With an awkward pause, he added, "I didn't do so well. I kinda' had to lift myself back up with telekinesis, but I still fell down."

Amy smiled; even though he was so determined about this, it was still kind of cute, in a way. She walked over to him, lightly hugging him like she did with her friends (excluding Sonic). "You silly boy," she said. "You can't just go on walking right away! You'll need to go through therapy first; didn't I already tell you? And in the middle of the night like this…Silver, what am I going to do with you?" She let go at this point, and Silver's face was now even brighter red than before.

"R…right," he stuttered, trying to regain his composure. "Okay, I'll wait until later. Maybe in the morning…right. Got it." With a pause, in which neither was sure what to say, his eyes wandered to his companion. She was currently dressed in her pajamas, which were powder blue, with small pink hearts decorating the pants, and two larger hearts on the shirt, right over where her real heart probably was. Her gloves were off, and her lack of headband freed her hair to just hang freely and loosely. And her feet were bare, save for her slippers, which were yellow. As for him? Just fur, like normal, except for the fact that neither his boots nor gloves were on.

"Well, I'm heading back to bed now," Amy declared, ending his thoughts briefly. As she turned to leave, the girl thought she heard him mutter something about 'nice pajamas,' but since she wasn't sure if she heard it or now, didn't reply.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Silver was still awake an hour later, eyes fixated on the dark ceiling above. Something about that conversation was keeping him up, but why should it? Was it something Amy said? Her actions, charging into his room, and then hugging him? Was it those pajamas, which fit her frame so well? Maybe all three.

The time-traveler had gotten to wondering as to why Amy had stuck out in his mind when heading back to the past. It struck him as odd; there had been plenty other people he met on his first trip, so why her? Sure, it was hard not to remember her, but that was the same with most of Sonic's friends. That didn't solve the question at all. So then, what could it be?

_"There you are Sonic! I found you!"_ Something about those words stirred something inside of him. Sonic…if Amy loved him so much, and he supposedly loved Amy, why did the Blue Blur never show up? To date, Silver hadn't seen him yet, and he had been in this time a little over a month. But what did that mean? That Amy was lying about her love…or she didn't know any better? With her stubbornness, that could be very likely.

No one had ever been that forward with him, to reach up and grab him like she had. Contact wasn't common in Silver's time. Contact like that meant you were close with someone. Closeness, in turn, made it so you hurt when they were taken away. Like Blaze. Blaze had been the only person he really cared for, that he was really close to. The off-white hedgehog had never known his mother; it was said she died at childbirth. Most people did. And his father…

Silver had a small memory, imbedded in the back of his brain. At the time, he was…what, two, three years old? Someone had held his hand, a face smiling at him…and had left him, near a small colony of survivors. The face had turned away, and began walking with slow, painful steps toward the flaming beast that was Iblis. All that could be seen of him was a dull blue glow…and it was enveloped by a bright red light.

"_I'll defeat him, for you. I promise…just wait here, until I get back, Silver."_

A groan passed the boy's lips. He hadn't dwelt on that for so long. Death seemed to follow him like a cloud…no, it followed Iblis. And Iblis was gone, long gone, gone forever-

-With Blaze.

"Dammit!" Silver sat up, and would have stormed out of bed, if it wasn't for the fact that his legs wouldn't move. Stupid legs. Stupid legs, stupid Iblis, stupid memories, stupid Sonic…and now, he was on the topic of Sonic again. Really, he should just get to sleep. Lying back down, the telekinetic closed his eyes, letting his sight become engulfed by shadows.

The first thing he saw in his dreams was a rose…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Amy didn't have the best of luck getting to sleep either. It was weird; usually, she fell back asleep in minutes flat, but not tonight. Not even her favorite Sonic plushie was helping tonight.

She turned the doll over, lying on her bed. The toy was a few years old, showing signs of wear and tear, but out of love. The cloth was slightly faded, rougher than it had been when it was new. One of the arms had stitches all over it to keep it together, and the eyes had been sown back on numerous times. This doll was Amy's first ever Sonic collectable, and she slept with it every night like a teddy bear.

All she had to do was hold it tight, and think of her Blue Blur. The hedgehog who would someday be her loving husband, and father of her kids. She already had it planned out. She would finally get her to figure out his love, and they would begin to date. Then, soon after Eggman's defeat (or even beforehand), Sonic would ask for her hand in marriage. She'd accept, and they'd have a large and beautiful wedding in Green Hill. They'd have a honeymoon on the Little Planet, where she had spent quite a few years of her childhood, and they'd have two children. One boy and one girl. The girl would be named Amethyst, and would have the most beautiful violet fur.

Pretty impressive planning, she thought to herself, turning the doll over again. It smiled up at her with its little thread smile, slightly lopsided but always adorable. Like Sonic. But why wasn't Sonic admitting his love yet? They should be getting closer, but he hadn't been around lately. In fact, he seemed busier than usual ever since that incident in Soleanna, involving Mephiles and all that. Question was, why? There was absolutely no reason for him to be busier. Eggman was out of commission at the moment. Then again, she had heard Sonic was helping out Elise…probably just some security work on the side, since he was bored. Yes, that was it. Elise was a nice girl, after all. Human, sure, but human's weren't too bad.

Either way, Sonic still wasn't helping her sleep that night. Turning the doll over one last time, she sighed, holding it against her. Green eyes drifted over to her pajamas, covered in hearts.

_Silver liked the pajamas. Didn't he say so?_

She didn't know why that popped into her head. For one thing, she wasn't even sure if he said that. And two…why should she care? For some odd reason, it gave her a feeling inside…something warm, focused in the center of her chest. It was nice.

She remembered his cheeks flushed red as she left. That was because he was embarrassed by her barging in, of course. Not because she hugged him, and most definitely not because of her pajamas. Still, Amy decided it might be the former; he still wasn't used to everything here, and she hadn't hugged him that much, unlike the rest of her friends.

Nah, that couldn't be it.

For the next few minutes, the fangirl tried clearing her mind with Sonic. Lovely, lovely Sonic. But wait…there was Silver! Again! He kept getting into her thoughts; sometimes abruptly, and sometimes creeping in like a fog. But there he was. Why? Why, why, why, why…why? No one else did! It was Sonic who came into her thoughts; Sonic was the one she always thought of!

"I'm just tired," she muttered drowsily. "It'll all be better in the morning. All…better…" Rose pink lids slipped down, and soon, the girl was asleep.

For once, there wasn't a trace of blue in her dreams…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Heavy footsteps clanked against hard, cold steel. Up ahead, a screen monitor displayed pictures of creatures, stone creatures. Half were made of glimmering violet gems, and the others, like flaming magma. In front of the screen was a man, a large man with a bushy orange mustache.

"Oho…so the data was correct. These beings and Silver are from the same time! I should have known. Hmm…these designs are interesting. They have no organs or anything; just rock." The figure began pacing, back and forth, back and forth.

"I wonder how well robotic versions would fare, hmm? It would be…interesting, to say the least. Much more terrifying than my usual humanoid robots."

A glimmer of white teeth grinned. "All shall fear my empire…the Eggman Empire isn't over yet, Sonic."

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Away in Soleanna, Princess Elise the third waited by her window, eyes watching the stars intently. It was fascinating, all those lights up there in the sky. But there was something else she was waiting for…

"Where is he?" She murmured softly. "Isn't this the right night?" Maybe it wasn't; it'd be embarrassing to have mistaken the time of arrival, to say the least.

Suddenly, a dull knocking noise reached her ears. Turning around, she came face to face with a hedgehog covered in bright blue fur.

"I think you were waiting at the wrong door," he said, grinning. "Should I specify that too next time?"

Elise stifled a laugh. "No, that shall be fine. Where are we going tonight, Sonic?"

The hero in front of her paused, having not thought about it before hand. After a few minutes of serious thinking and foot-tapping, he said, "Have I showed you Green Hill yet?"

"…Green Hill? I believe not…is it special to you?"

In the starlight, she noted, his emerald green eyes really glistened, like shining green stars of her very own.

"…Only the most special place in the world."

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**Hmm…sniffle sniff Does anyone smell romance, or is that just me? grins Well, I hoped you enjoyed it…there is plenty more to come, believe me! So, I shall see you all next time!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Late? Yeah, I know…look, I've got a lot of other stories, and not enough inspiration to go around most of the time. Thankfully, however, I managed to finish this chapter! Hoorah!**

**The only things I own in this chapter are the E-Crystallites and the E-Hydra. Everything else belongs to Sega in some way, shape, or form. **

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Sonic's sweet sixteenth birthday. At the beginning of the year, it had already been expected to be one of the most exciting events of the year. No one was sure how or what would happen, but this was Sonic they were talking about. It was bound to be exciting.

Amy had certainly prepared for it; she had saved up for this since the Blue Blur's last birthday, using all that time to find enough money for the perfect dress, jewelry, hair style…and, of course, the birthday boy's present. That had been the hardest part; figuring out what to get Sonic for his birthday. It had to be something big and wonderful; something to prove the full extent of her love. But, in the end, she had finally found it.

"It's a secret," she said to everyone who asked. It would stay that way until Sonic himself opened it. Right now, it was in her closet, in a wrapped box. Her foot nudged against it as she reached for her dress, and she smiled. A few hours…that was all she had to wait.

Quickly slipping into her dress, she paused to admire herself in the mirror. The silky dress was deep blue, like her beloved's fur, with a thin white, long-sleeved shirt underneath. Both were adorned with a flowery design, with a brilliant white rose pinned to the side. A pearl necklace, which she had acquired from her mother, rested against her rosy furred neck. Finishing the outfit, she slipped on the azure slippers, glancing in the mirror again at her hair, which was currently styled slightly short and layered. _"Should I add a headband,"_ she wondered? _"No, not tonight. Makeup?"_ She already had added a little bit…no need to go overboard. Was there anything else…?

In an effort to try and remember anything she could possibly be missing, her eyes roamed toward the living room, where Silver was. A tuxedo had seemed a bit much, so he was instead in a decent pair of slacks and a dress shirt, with his usual boots as well. They had also ditched the tie; apparently, there were none in the future, and he didn't understand what it was for anyway. The time traveler seemed bored, absently fingering the various pieces of his wheelchair.

"Don't worry too much," Amy called out, "we'll be going soon. Think I'm missing anything?" She stepped out, watching his face turn pink again. Golden eyes dilated, as if totally in awe of what stood before him.

"I…uh, well…you're beautiful. I mean…it's fine. Good." He nodded quickly at this statement, causing Amy to smile. If she could even get Silver to blush with her looks (and he had the fashion sense of…well, someone who didn't even know what fashion was), then she must be stunning!

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" With a moment's hesitation to grab her birthday present, Amy was nearly out the door. She suddenly remembered Silver, and quickly grabbed the handles of his wheelchair and wheeled him out. The wait just couldn't leave her fast enough; the fangirl could practically see Sonic before her, and the most wonderful look on his face when he opened her gift.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Silver had never been to a party, much less known what one was until now. He was certainly impressed with all the people and decorations involved. There were signs and balloons everywhere, wishing the Blue Blur a "Happy 16th Birthday!" Newscasters were everywhere, wanting to be the first to broadcast this event live worldwide. Most of the people were sitting at various tables, which had a few snacks on them. Anyone who brought presents were either carrying them, or placing them in a pile near where the birthday cake would be served. The cake itself was taller than Silver, and probably taller than at least some of the present humans.

Amy was holding her own gift; she wanted to give it to her true love personally. Thankfully, it wasn't incredibly heavy. She stuck by Silver for a few minutes, explaining when needed what certain things were, until she was distracted by the sight of her friend, Honey. The fangirl left almost immediately, leaving the time traveler to wander alone.

"My my, look what we have here!" Turning his head, Silver caught sight of a bat with the same fur color as his. She was dressed in a tight violet dress that effectively portrayed her curvaceous figure, with matching makeup.

"…Rouge?" He asked. "That's your name, right?"

"You got that right, hon." Rouge gave him a wink, which confused him. "You're that hedgehog from the future, right? You helped Sonic and Shadow defeat Solaris." He nodded, still perplexed by the bat's voice and actions. Most other people around stared at her like, as Silver thought, Iblis stalking prey. To the time traveler, she wasn't extremely attractive.

Thinking he heard someone else call his name, Silver glanced back to see another hedgehog; he was black, with red stripes. That was Shadow, and beside him was a similarly colored robot…Omega?

He paused before replying. "Nice to see you here, Shadow. I thought you were Sonic's rival, though…?"

"I am," The Ultimate Lifeform replied stoically. "I wouldn't come here otherwise, save for the fact that it wouldn't be a surprise for Eggman to attack." The angst-hog failed to mention that a certain someone had talked him into it; the ivory bat nearby winked at him, and for some reason, the angst-hog's face felt warm.

"COMRADE SILVER," Omega boomed monotonously, "IT IS POSITIVE TO SEE YOU HERE IN GOOD STATUS. IT SEEMS THAT YOUR LOWER LIMBS HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE; I OFFER MY CONDOLENCES."

It took Silver a few minutes to decipher what the robot meant. "Oh…that's fine. It's not your fault, and I'm fine; don't worry about it." The off-white hedgehog figured that it was odd having people he barely knew worrying about him, especially one that was a giant robot.

He soon left the dark trio, attempting to figure out where Amy went. He muttered apologies when he accidentally bumped into someone (stupid wheelchair), keeping his eyes peeled for anything pink and blue in the crowd. It became even more apparent how many people there were; it was nearly impossible to see anything, save for what was high overhead.

_"Sonic must be really impressive if this many people want to be here for his day of birth…I don't even remember mine."_ The time traveler barely even remembered his own age; he was guessing that he was thirteen of fourteen. Amy was around that age, wasn't she? Either way, Sonic was older than him. The Blue Blur certainly didn't act like it, though.

"Hey there Silver! Enjoying yourself?" Speak of the devil in blue. Sonic was in a suit, for once, but he didn't count this party as the "official" one. Instead, he was going to have a birthday bash with his friends only, and THAT would be the real deal. This…was just a press thing, really.

"Yeah. I've never been to a party before…this is really impressive."

"Glad you think so!" Sonic gave the time traveler a thumbs-up. "By the way, have you seen Princess Elise anywhere?"

"I didn't know she was coming," Silver admitted. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Well then, I gotta' juice!" The next instant, he was gone like a fleeting wind. That was the best way to describe Sonic, really; he was there for an instant, and before you knew it, he was gone.

Maybe that was why Amy liked him. Because in the sparse, quick times he was around, she was able to enjoy his presence for all it was worth.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Amy was standing in the crowd, standing on tip-toe for a sight of her beloved in blue. Sonic was supposed to give a small speech to the guests, thanking them for coming to this party, and stuff like that. Of course, what Sonic was _supposed_ to do and what Sonic _did_ do were usually two distinctly different things.

Out of the corner of her eye, Amy thought she saw a flicker of violet light. Firework preparations, she told herself; Sonic was a fan of fireworks, and she knew that there would be some during the celebration.

The lights, however, were not fireworks. On the outskirts of the party, a familiar egg-shaped man stroked his overly large moustache, facing his new army. These robots were different than any other, most notably for the eerie violet glow under their armor. These robots hissed and grumbled, as opposed to whirring and clicking, and their eyes were fixated on the object in their new master's hands; the Scepter of Darkness.

"Attention all E-Crystallites," the man bellowed to his army. "We are about to face the archrival of I, Dr. Eggman. You all are ordered to obliterate anything and everything at this party, ESPECIALLY Sonic the Hedgehog and his cohorts, all of which I have programmed into your memories. Is that clear?"

The metal-plated beasts gave a roar of triumph. The people off at the party thought the noise was a rowdy group of Sonic-fans trying to crash the party.

"Excellent!" Eggman continued. "Now, E-Crystallites…search and destroy! Obliterate Sonic the Hedgehog!"

The creatures roared again, as if cheering, and charged forward to the party.

"How ironic," Eggman muttered to himself. "Your birthday, Sonic, shall also be your Deathday…and will mark the beginning of the Era of the Eggman Empire!"

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

No one was sure who had been the person to scream first when the beasts attacked. A sharp shriek, seemingly loud enough to pierce nearby eardrums, rang out, and all festivities halted. Robots glimmering violet stormed into the swarm of people, throwing anything and everything out of the way.

"Y'know, I really hate gatecrashers…" Sonic muttered from the podium. He had finally been prepared to give that loathed speech, and now it was being interrupted. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or enraged at this, but either way, some robot heads were gonna' roll. Revving up and out, he laughed in his typical carefree manner as he spindashed between legs, and attacked the robots from the head. He momentarily found it odd that these bots didn't break so easily, and felt harder than usual minions of Eggman. Of course, before he could muse on this further, he had left to attack the next ones.

Amy had her hammer out, swinging it haphazardly at anything in her way. Honey was nearby, comically punching and swatting the smaller robots. The girls were clearing out near the exit, as people who were unfortunate enough to be unable to fight the robots ran away like cowards. As selfish as it sounded, Amy always felt a bit of pride at being able to smack around robots while most of the other girls screamed like sissies.

_"Where's Sonic?"_ She found herself wondering. Immediately afterward came the question, _"Oh god, where's Silver? How can he fight in a wheelchair?!"_

"Honey, take over for me!" She shouted. "I've got a hedgehog to find!"

"Alrighty!" The golden cat shouted. "Go find your man, doll!" Amy didn't have time to explain that she was looking for Silver instead of Sonic, but then again, Honey would have said it anyway.

Shoving her way past the crowd scrambling out, the pink-furred warrior ran into the fray, where most of Sonic's other friends and allies were fighting off robots. Over there were Shadow and Rouge, taking down a robot that looked like a giant. And there were Cream and Cheese, taking out some small flying bots. The whole gang seemed to be here, but where was-

"Look out!" Amy whirled around just in time to avoid being crushed by what appeared to be a robotic worm, which she deflected mid-charge with her hammer. The beast was temporarily shocked, and suddenly, it began to glow blue. Slowly floating into the air, the metallic worm writhed and screeched, continuing to do so as it flew into another giant bot, as if thrown by an invisible hand.

"That was close." Looking behind her, the pink fangirl was surprised to see Silver sitting beside her. He looked a bit ruffled up, but he was virtually untouched otherwise. Amazingly, the wheelchair was perfectly intact.

"But how did you-"

"Telekinesis, remember," the off-white hedgehog explained. Amy had nearly forgotten in her worry for Silver that he had powers, and didn't necessarily need his legs to use them.

"You're not hurt?"

"No. Are you?" She noticed Silver's golden eyes looking her up and down, automatically searching for any possible wounds.

"I'm fine." She turned her attention back to the fight, as two lizard robots approached. Readjusting her grip on her hammer, the pink warrior ran toward them, smashing one of them in the head. She felt a small shudder go through her bones; it felt like trying to smash a brick wall. Then again, she had broken walls before, when she was angry enough. The second lizard had a table thrown at it by Silver, followed by assorted chairs. The instant these fell to the ground, they were immediately in the air again, being hurled at the lizard until it fell to its knees.

"Nice!" Amy grinned, giving Silver a thumbs-up. "Now, where are the next ones?"

"Amy, don't these things seem familiar?" Wheeling over to her side, the time traveler pointed to one of the defeated robots. As he did so, the metal covering was mentally wrenched off its head, revealing a crystalline, violet head.

"I remember these! These things attacked Soleanna with that freak…what was his name? Mephiles."

"Mephiles…" Silver muttered under his breath. "He's the one who told me to stop Iblis by stopping the Iblis Trigger…he's the one who told me it was Sonic."

Amy paused before saying, "He's the reason you originally came here to the past, then."

"Ironically enough, yeah." Something large –larger than one of those giant robots- stepped just into Silver's sight.

"Amy-!"

A large metal hand thrust out and grabbed the pink fangirl, its hand covering nearly her whole body as it lifted her up. Golden eyes looked up at it; a two toned, crystalline beast. It looked like a mix between most of the other crystalline robots; it was giant and wormlike, but with two lizard-like heads, and two arms. One arm held Amy, and the other one held Princess Elise.

From a floating robot overhead, Eggman sat, holding the Scepter of Darkness like a baton. He grinned, pressing a button on his seat as a megaphone unfolded from one of the compartments.

"Sonic the Hedgehog!" He shouted. "I hope you didn't mind me showing up without an invitation, but I so hated the idea of missing your birthday."

"I wouldn't have minded that," The Blue Blur shouted from the crowd. "It's your friends here that I'm not too fond of."

"Really? That's too bad. Well, before we leave, I can at least give you a gift." The mustached fiend waved his hand, encompassing the crowd of robots, including the dual-headed serpent. "I have here my newest friend, the E-Hydra. It seems to have taken a liking to your two little girlfriends…and when he finds something tasty, he doesn't like giving it back. Of course, I could always convince him that you're the better meal…"

Silver watched in silence. Even to him, he knew that Sonic wouldn't give himself up. Then again, he wouldn't let his friends be eaten…and Eggman was probably planning this. So then…what?

From what he could see, the E-Hydra looked pretty eager to feast. Both heads, as a matter of fact, were practically drooling (well, if robotic rock things _could_ drool, anyway). Sonic was fast, sure, but it wouldn't be easy run up AND get the thing to let go of one girl, let alone run to the other and save the other girl. This robot was big, after all.

One girl. Sonic was probably only able to save one of the girls, unless he had some other plan. Maybe, just maybe, someone could distract the other head, but pretty much everyone was caught up in fighting the remaining robots. There were a hell of a lot of robots…

Except for around him. The robots weren't interested in the supposed handicapped weakling; not when all these other people, who were already studied and deemed far more dangerous, were in sight.

_"Sonic will have to save one of the girls, and I'll save the other. I HAVE to. I just hope…that I can make it in time."_

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

**Mwhaha, cliffhanger. evil grin I've had this little dilemma in my head for awhile…I just wasn't sure how exactly to play it out. This is good enough, I hope?**

**Who will Sonic choose? Will Silver be able to help? Will I update in sooner than…5 months next time? (5 months?! Dang, I've been slacking. ) Find out next chapter!**


End file.
